Washington DC – National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin released the following statement in response to meetings by trade ministers and senior officials in Paris at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris:

"NFTC commends trade ministers from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States for the important marker they laid down today at the OECD to conclude an ambitious Environmental Goods Agreement this year. This meeting is another step toward concluding the agreement in 2016.

"All EGA negotiators must double down on efforts to land an agreement ahead of the G-20 Summit this September in Hangzhou. Letting the agreement languish would delay the economic and environmental benefits of a deal. We urge negotiators to finalize a pathway for conclusion during China's host year."

About the NFTCThe National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules- based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.Follow us on: